ARLINGTON — The Skagit Valley has long been known for bald eagles.
Lesser known are the eagles of the Stillaguamish Valley.
They often soar unnoticed over traffic on Pioneer Highway. Perched high in cottonwood trees along the banks of the Stillaguamish River, they are easily missed.
Arlington bald eagle aficionados want to make the birds more visible to more people.
In celebration of the eagles of the Stillaguamish, they’re planning to hold the Arlington Eagle Festival on Feb. 9.
The event is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features eagle viewing. Biologists from the Stillaguamish Tribe plan to offer guided tours of a Nature Conservancy estuary near Hat Slough in Silvana.
See eagles and meet representatives from the Sarvey Wildlife Center at Arlington City Hall, 238 N. Olympic Ave. Art exhibits, a lecture on eagles, a photo side show and a coloring contest are also planned.
Tim McHugh and Friends plan to celebrate eagles with live music at 3 p.m. at the Mirkwood Shire Cafe, 117 Division St.
The Skagit and Stillaguamish watersheds have one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles in the lower 48 states.
Now’s a good time to watch eagles. They fly into Arlington in late October to feed on spawning salmon. They generally remain until late February before heading north.
Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or kmanry@heraldnet.com.
Wind beneath their wings
A mix of volunteers and staff are organizing the festival.
The volunteers include:
Virginia Hatch from the Arlington Parks, Arts &Recreation Commission
Jean Olson from the Arlington Arts Council
Sarah Arney from the Arlington Arts Council
The staff includes:
Jen Sevigny from the Stillaguamish Tribe’s natural resources department
Bill Blake, Arlington’s natural resources manager
Vic Ericson, Arlington’s economic development manager
Sarah Hegge, Arlington’s recreation coordinator
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